


Enjoy the Silence

by ZoneRobotnik



Series: Run Like Hell [2]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Gideon has his issues, Gravity Falls is changing, squares replacing triangles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-12 23:41:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13558047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoneRobotnik/pseuds/ZoneRobotnik
Summary: Times are changing in Gravity Falls and Gideon wants to know why.(This is a companion piece to "Run Like Hell" and should be read side-by-side with it.)





	Enjoy the Silence

**Author's Note:**

> Gravity Falls (c) Alex Hirsch and Disney XD

After seeing the Pines Twins off to their respective destinations, the town of Gravity Falls had to focus on rebuilding. Oh, the town was fine, it was just...the people...weren't. Tyler Cutebiker sighed as he looked over paperwork related to his job and glanced at a picture of his mother. Would she be able to handle this whole thing better?  
  
People were sending in questions about what to do in the event of another apocalypse and he just...don't know. Stan might know, but he'd already demonstrated that he utterly failed when it came to dealing with aliens or demons coming to take over the town. He shivered as he remembered the feeling of his body turning to stone. He could hear distant screams as people were captured and taken away just like he was, and muffled voices after that. But he couldn't... _do_ anything.  
  
His first week as mayor and he was a failure. Why did he expect anything else? “Maybe I should just git it on out of here.” He mumbled, sitting back in his seat. “Let someone else do the job.”  
  
“Mayor Cutebiker.” Tyler looked up to see Tad Strange walking up to him with a smile. “I thought I'd check in, bring you some fresh bread.” He indicated the basket he had, then frowned a bit. “Are you busy?”  
  
“Oh, I'm...I need a break anyway.” Tyler climbed off the chair and nodded. “Let's have that bread! Come on, I have cookies!”  
  
“Alright.” Tad smiled and walked after him.  
  
“Mr. Strange, you've been here a while, right?” Tyler looked at him.  
  
“Thirty years.” Tad nodded.  
  
“And you're a good, upstanding citizen. Why didn't you try for mayor?” Tyler opened the door to his kitchen and they walked in together.  
  
“Ah, well, I don't have a hat.” Tad chuckled. “You need a hat to throw into the hoop.”  
  
“Oh! Oh, of course!” Tyler giggled a bit. “Silly me. But, if you did, how do you think you would do as mayor?”  
  
“Tyler, you're a wonderful mayor.” Tad assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “But...you _do_ need an assistant, to help take the load off. I could do that.”  
  
“Could you? You know how to do the paperwork stuff?” Tyler asked.  
  
“I _am_ a lawyer.” Tad chuckled.  
  
“Oh, is that your job?” Tyler blinked, surprised. “You know, I think this is the longest conversation we've had ever.”  
  
“Yes, well, recent events have convinced me that it's not so good to be a recluse. I mean, I could have been killed and no one would know me to mourn me.” Tad set down his basket on the counter.  
  
“Well, it's good to talk to you finally.” Tyler smiled. “I mean, we've talked before, but that was just passing each other at the store.”  
  
“It's good to talk to you, too.” Tad smiled as he took out the bread.  
  
“So, were you serious about the assistant thing?” Tyler asked, going to get a plate for the bread.  
  
“Of course.” Tad set down the pan of bread, followed by a bread knife. “I wouldn't joke about something so serious.”  
  
“Then, I'll gladly take you on for the job.” Tyler beamed at him. “Jam?”  
  
“Of course.” Tad grinned.  
  
–  
  
Gideon Gleeful tossed and turned in his sleep, visions of prison bars and cage bars swarming around in his head. He whimpered softly and thrashed around in his blanket before sitting up with a jolt, his breath heavy and tears slipping down his cheeks.  
  
“I can't do this.” He breathed, pushing the blankets away and heading for the bathroom. After washing his face, he returned to his room and glanced at his phone. There was a text from Pacifica, and he debated on not answering it before he reached over and picked it up, seeing what she had to say.  
  
**[I can't sleep. How are you doing?]**  
  
He chuckled bitterly and sent a reply. **[Same. I keep dreaming of being behind some kind of bars. 2012 is the worst.]**  
  
He sat down on his bed with the phone in his hand and waited for her reply. Normally he'd be humming, or playing some kind of music, but honestly he just wanted to bask in complete and utter silence.  
  
Music made him think of dancing, and dancing made him think of...well, he didn't want to think about it. He curled up tightly and glanced at his phone. Pacifica had sent a reply.  
  
**[Yeah, it really is. I mean, who knows, it might get better. Or worse. You know, those Mayans were right. The apocalypse did happen in 2012, but we stopped it before it got to the rest of the world.]**

  
Gideon sighed softly. **[There's a silver lining for you.]** He typed, shrugging.  
  
He shivered a bit and looked towards the window, watching the wind blow outside. He wrapped his blanket around himself and held the phone close to him, feeling its warmth in his hand. He couldn't place it, but he felt like he was being...watched.  
  
But, that was impossible. Bill was gone. A stone statue. ...Right? He threw off his blanket and grabbed his coat and shoes before heading out of his bedroom.  
  
He found himself in front of Bill's statue, staring at the stone eye silently. Bill was definitely gone, so why did he feel so...uneasy? He shivered again and zipped up his coat, looking towards the moon shining overhead. His phone vibrated in his pocket, but he didn' check it this time, instead turning to look at Bill Cipher.  
  
He could still hear his mocking laughter. He walked over and sat down against it, sighing softly. Was it really worth all the pain for him to give himself up? Would it have been better if he had gone with Dipper, instead? But, no, the eyebats were on the way, he needed to distract them, and he wouldn't send his henchangels to do it again.  
  
How had he fallen so far? Or...has he ever been high enough _to_ fall? Even when he had power, he was still performing for his father. And then he performed for Bill, dancing whatever dance he conjured up. Making him feel like he was in power when in reality Bill had everything laid out. He knew Gideon would summon, knew he'd betray him in the end, but he played Gideon for a fool like an expert violinist playing the Devil's Trill.  
  
Now that Bill was gone and his father was suffering from the effects of the memory gun, he was technically free. But he didn't feel free. The memories, the nightmares, still caged him. He could recall every taunting word said to him like it was happening at this very moment. When he closed his eyes, he could see bars in front of him, hear laughter and screams.  
  
His phone vibrated again and he opened his eyes as he took it out of his pocket. Pacifica was calling him now, and he answered it, bringing to his ear. “Hey.”  
  
“Hey, you okay? Did you fall asleep?” Pacifica asked.  
  
“Mm...no. I'm out by Bill's statue. I just...needed assurance he was gone.” Gideon sighed, looking at Bill's outstretched arm next to him.  
  
“Did it help?” Pacifica asked.  
  
“...Sort of? But...not really.” Gideon sighed.  
  
“Then get back inside, it's starting to rain.” Pacifica sighed heavily.  
  
Gideon looked up at the dark clouds covering the moon. “No...I think I'm good here.” He hung up and slipped his phone back into his pocket before wrapping his arms around his legs. As the rain started to come down, he felt his phone vibrate again. He didn't answer it this time.  
  
The rain hit both him and Bill, covering them with water droplets one by one until his coat was damp and Bill was soaked. It was...peaceful. Just him and Bill, caught in the rain at night. He was sure that if Bill weren't a stone statue, he would be playfully mussing his hair and lifting him up to take him to his home.  
  
No. Wait. That was before he betrayed him. Bill would never be that way to him again. The games they played, the conversations they had when he was in prison, the secret visits to the Mindscape...they were all in the past. Bill hated him now. If he weren't a stone statue, he would be smacking him into the mud and laughing. It was...a depressing thought.  
  
He buried his face in his knees, thinking of how alone he was. His friends from prison were taken back there after Weirdmageddon, and Bill was gone. His phone once again vibrated in his pocket, but he just curled up tighter and ignored it.  
  
Maybe if he stayed here long enough, the rain would wash him and his nightmares away for good.  
  
Suddenly, the rain stopped hitting him. He looked up a bit and saw black boots standing in front of him, and then he looked up more and saw Tad Strange wearing a purple coat and holding a black and purple umbrella. “It's a little late to be out, isn't it? It's a good thing I was coming over here. Come on, I'll take you home.” He reached out a black-gloved hand.  
  
Gideon shook his head. “No...I'm good. Thank you, though.”  
  
“It wouldn't do for one of our children to be getting himself sick just before school.” Tad scolded him good-naturedly. “If you don't get up, I'll have to carry you.”  
  
Gideon sighed and took his head, reluctantly leaving Bill's side as the man pulled him against him so they could both be covered by the umbrella.  
  
“Why...were you here?” Gideon asked.  
  
“Oh, I'm going to be putting up a wall with a gate around Bill Cipher to keep out any snooping tourists.” Tad smiled a bit. “I came here to check out the area and see if any trees needed to be cleared, but I think we're good. The rain started when I was on the way here. How long have you been here? Do your parents know you're out?”  
  
Gideon shook his head. “I don't know if they'd notice.”  
  
“Now, why would you think that?” Tad opened his car door for Gideon and kept the umbrella over him as he climbed in.  
  
“Well...they've both been hit by the memory gun.” Gideon shrugged. “And after seeing what happened to Stanf—ley, I'm not so sure my father will even remember me when I'm not with him...”  
  
Tad closed the door and then went to the driver's side, sitting down on the seat sideways before closing his umbrella. Then he set the umbrella in the back and turned himself to the steering wheel. “Well,” He closed the door. “If your mother has been hit by it, what about you? I mean, you seem alright, mentally. Well, aside from the whole demon thing.”  
  
“My father tried...but it didn't work.” Gideon shrugged. “I'm not sure why. Bill couldn't really get into my head, either. Maybe I'm broken inside.”  
  
“Or just really well-guarded.” Tad started the car. “Nothing's wrong with you, Gideon. You're just a strong kid.”  
  
“I don't know about that.” Gideon frowned.  
  
“Gideon, you suffered humiliation and pain at the hands of a demon and didn't go insane. I doubt any other kid could say the same. Pacifica certainly couldn't. You're only a child, but you're so, so strong.” Tad smiled at him before looking forward and driving down the road to Gideon's home. “Give yourself some credit.”  
  
Gideon looked out the window as they drove away from the grove. “...I guess I am, huh?”  
  
“Mmhm.” Tad smiled. “You faced Bill Cipher by yourself and endured torture at his hands and you're still standing.” He reached over and squeezed Gideon's shoulder affectionately before putting his hand back on the wheel.  
  
Gideon reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, finally deciding to answer Pacifica's texts.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Definitely not a good idea to get sick in the rain.


End file.
